UniBond Premier

19th October 2005

Attendance - 256

Team - Campbell, Brumwell, Veart, Farthing, Hudson, Nicholson, Ormerod(McTiernan), Scaife, Raw, Wilford(Brunskill), Richards - Subs not used Atkinson

Report - by Andrew Snaith - Who needs Sylvain Wiltord, when we’ve got Aron Wilford the crowd sang, as the Blues marksman netted his seventh goal in two matches, and a second successive hat-trick in the space of four days. Whitby repeated the 4-2 scoreline achieved on Saturday, again providing excellent value for money for the meagre 256 crowd.

Worryingly, another recent trait continued when the Seasiders handed their visitors an early goal, this time inside the first minute. The Blues defence parted like the red sea for ex-Leeds United forward Damian Reeves to side-foot past the helpless Dave Campbell from close range.

However, just ten minutes later, Whitby were back level. Tom Raw broke down the right flank, turning one man before the ball ran loose for Wilford to force past the last defender and debutant Azerbaijani goalkeeper for 1-1.

Two minutes later, Wilford raced clear and put over a square ball, missed by Raw, for Scott Nicholson to hammer goalwards at the far post, only for a defender on the goal-line to clear. The resulting corner was nodded home at the far post by that man Wilford as the match was completely turned on it’s head.

And within moments, the devastating six-minute spell was complete as Nicholson’s effort was blocked, only for the Whitby captain to follow up with a low angled drive past Afandived to make it 3-1 with only 17 minutes played.

Emley had an excellent chance to get back into the game when Chris Hudson was booked for a foul on the edge of the Whitby box, only for Ashley Beck to hammer the resulting free-kick high over the bar.

Ant Ormerod should’ve done better on 24 minutes, the former England Youth International blasted over at point blank range from Raw’s low right-wing cross. Whitby had two good chances to increase their lead before the break- first, Craig Veart curled a tremendous trademark free-kick over the wall only for Afandived to acrobatically tip the ball over the bar. Then, an even better chance fell to Karl Richards three minutes from the interval when Ormerod turned provider with a pinpoint cross, but the ex-Hartlepool winger headed well wide when just inches from goal.

It seemed Wilford would notch his treble just four minutes into the second half, when Raw’s neat lay-off played in the former Middlesbrough man, but the post came to Emley’s rescue. The men from West Yorkshire came close at the other end when Adam Muller’s tremendous run culminated in a good save from Campbell at the near post. But Whitby failed to heed the warning and Reeves reduced the arrears with a cheeky close-range back-heel from Muller’s cross.

Ormerod then tricked his way down the right and supplied an inviting cross to the far post with Richards arriving but Afandived saved well at his near post. The man of the hour finally got his reward on 66 minutes, beating the Emley offside trap after several marginal decisions, and displaying supreme calmness to round Afandived turn Beck on the line inside out and sidefoot home to send the crowd into rapture.

Even centre-half Danny Farthing, came painfully close to notching only his second goal in Whitby colours but Afandived finally caught the youngster’s chip, after two other shots were blocked. Whitby got another look at new signing Danny Brunskill, as Wilford let to a standing ovation with two minutes remaining, and despite an ocean of injury time, the Blues eased to victory, and made their way into the top of the half of the table for the first time since the opening weekend.